Line welding



Oct. 5 1926. f 1,601,928 H. w. ToBEY LINE VHLDING l Filed Nov. 8, 1924 2 Sheets-$11661l 1 Inventor` l Har @y YV. Tobgy b y W/ I'Ls Attorney Oct. 5 1926.

H. W. TOBEY LINE WELDING 8 192'4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.

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Patented oct. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES- 1,601,928 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. TOBEY, 0F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- TBIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LINE WELDING.

Application led November 8, 1924. Serial No. 748,763.

My invention relates to line welding machines wherein means are provided for producing relative movement between the Work and the electrodes through which electric current is transmitted to the metal of the Weld, and has for its object the provision of an improved arrangement for crrecting the tendency of the Work to creep or move in a direction lateral to the line of the weld and for controlling the movement of the electrodes to secure Welding in a desired line.

In the resistance line Welding of metal parts2 difficulty is frequently encountered due "to the tendency of the Work to creep in av direction lateral to the line of the weld. This tendency of the Work to creep may be the effect of different causes, but it is apparent that when creeping starts it tends to continue, just as an automobile on a street would .run to the curb if the street were turned slightly under the auto mobile. The analogy is not quite exact, since the Welding electrodes rotate in a fixed plane and the Work creeps, Whereas the street is immovable. It is therefore desirable that some means be provided for producing forces of such a magnitude and direction as to neutralize the effect of the forces tending to produce creepage of the Work and that these neutralizing forces be exerted on the Work Without subjecting the electrodes to undue strain. In accordance with my invention, these neutralizing forces are produced through slight adjustments in the position of a member upon Which the Work is partiaily supported. As will be readily understood. this method of maintaining the Weld in alinement with the welding electrode has the very great advantage that the electrodes are themselves enabled to produce the required corrective or neutralizing forces without danger ej istoition or injury to the eiectrcdes. reepin may be prevented by overbalancing the iateral forces tending to produce creepage of the Work, but this subjeex i eiectredes to continued distortdestroy the eiectrodes or and 4'respectively show perspective, end, plan and side views of aline Welding machine 1n which my invention has been embodied. The drawings show a Welding machine comprlslng a base 1 upon which the support members 2 and 3 are mounted. The member 3 is arranged to support the` Welding transformer 4 from which current is transmitted to the disk electrodes 5 and 6 through the leads 7 and 8 of the transformer secondary Winding. A guide roller 9 mounted in a bracket pivoted at 10 is arranged to engage the edge of the Work, shown as a tank, as it is rotated between the electrodes 5 and 6. When the edge of the Work is irregular, this bracket may be swung to the left into a position Where the guide roller does not interfere with the rotation of the Work.

As indicated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. the electrode 6 is aranged to be driven by the motor 11 to which it is mechanically coupled through a belt 12, a worm and gear 13 and 14, and a Worm and gear 15 and 16. Current for operating the motor 11 may be supplied from any suitable source through a controller 17 which is provided With a handle 18 for controlling the rotation of the electrode 6. The electrode 5 is supported by a member 19 which is adapted to .be moved in a vertical direction either bv meansof a handvvheel 20, or by a fluid pressure device 21 arranged to be mechanically cou led to the member 19 through any suita le means,` such as a rack and pin ion for example. and to be operated by iuid supplied from any suitable source through the valve 22 shown in Fig. 1 as provided with an operatingl handle 23 for moving the electrode into and out of contact with the Worh in response to reciprocation of the device 2l.

A motor 24 is connected to be supplied with current through a controiler 25 which is provided with a handle 26 tor controlling the operatien of a pump which is driven by the motor 24; to supply cooling fluid to the electrodes 5 and 6 through the pipe 27 of Fig. 1 t switch is provided for conu troliingthe operation ci an inductie@` regun later through which current is suppiied to the weld. Switch 29 arranged to control the connection b een the pr' ry ciru cuit of transfo i and an i errup- :f1 ter prt? d. in. 3G the par ree pose of periodically interrupting the welding current under certain conditions oi operation. The various features considered up to this point are for the most part old and Well known to those skilled in the art. For this reason they need be considered only in sufiicient detail to understand their relation to their stationary Work support which forms an essential part of my invention.

The stationary support member, which is located at a point laterally displaced from the plane in which the electrodes are rotated, is mounted upon the pedestal 2 which is arranved to be adjusted to diilerent positions a ong the base 1 and to be attached thereto .by means ot a bolt 31. At its upper end, the pedestal 2 is provided with Ways 32 adapted to receive lugs 33 of the member 3d and to permit rectilineal movement of this member in a direction transverse to the longitudinalaxis o the base l in response to rotation of a handrvheel 35. Shafts 36 and 37 are arranged to support a member 38 and to be moved to and fro through suitable bearings in the member 34 by means shown as a lever 39 pivoted to the shaft 36 at 40 and cou led to the member 34 through a link el. T e lever 39 is preferably provided with a catch, as illustrated in Fi s. 3 and 4, for the purpose of maintaining t ie member 33 in any position to which it has been adjusted. Contact rollers 43, 4:4 and 45 are attached to the member 38 by means of bolts e6, i7 and 48 which are arranged to be moved along the slot-s 49, and 51 for the purpose oit' adjusting the positions of the roller contacts. This arran ement is advantageous in that it permits a justinent of the contact rollers in a manner to suit the requirements o' the Work.

The work is illustrated as a transformer tank comprising a cylindrical body member 52 and plurality oi hollow cooling ns 53 having flanges 54.1 arranged to be Welded yto the cylindrical body `52.

Assuming the longitudinal edges of the hn langes to have been Welded to the cylindrical body by a machine suitably designed for this work and the Work to be placed in the machine as illustrated, the left hand ends o` flanges may be Welded to the cylindrical body by eperating the lever 23 to force the electrode into centact with Work, operating the controller andle 26 to initiate circulation ci the coolin. water, and operating the handle 13 to start rotation or the electrodes. As electrodes rotate, the work is rotated in contact with the roller 43 and the 'et hand the 54 are moved between the electrodes j and 3.

The primary circuit er the transitormer is then closed, either Jongh an interrupter or independently t. ed', and th" Weld is mede in usual hier. .lt has been ob= served that the use of an interrupter is especiall advantageous Where the electrodes are rol ed over the end of a completed weld. It is therefore desirable periodically to interrupt the Welding current at least during the operation of overlapping the ends of the Weld. lVhen the Weld is completed, the primary circuit of the transformer is opened, the controller 26 is operated to cut olf the supply of cooling fluid, the lever 23 isoperated to raise the electrode 5 and the lever 39 is operated to the right to disengage the stationary support from the Work.

It will be observed that the Work is free to rock about the electrode 6 and the con tact roller 43 to a slight extent. This enables the vveld to be readily made over the irregularities formed by the ends of the liauges l. As the Work rotates, there is at times a tendency for it to creep along the support in a direction lateral to the line of the Weld. lVhen this occurs, the handwheel 35 is operated in a manner to move either the contact roller 44 or i5 into contact with the inner surface of the tank, thus exerting on the work a force of such a value and direction as to counteract the forces tending to produce creepage of the Work. By manipulation of the hand'wheel 35, it is also possible to Weld along any desired line and to keep the weld at any given distance from the edges of the Work even though this edge be irregular. My invention thus has utility both as a means of preventing creepage of the work and as a means of predetermining the course oi the Weld.

A base or head may be Welded to the tank in the manner heretofore described, 'where the base or head is provided With a circular portion which tits into or over the end of the tank. l have explained my invention by illustrating and describing a certain specific embodiment thereof, bi it will readily understood by those s ed in the art that the arrangement oi t e-.bodimen modified in certain oi its details. ingly, do not Wish to be rtstricte .l particular` arrangement disclosed herein by way of example for the purpose c@ forth my invention in accordance patent statutes. The terms of the claims are, therefore, "t i 'ric' precise arrangement disclosed, bi tended tc cov-er all c in- ,edificaby letters l. it wel pair oi elec cred with J" macl trades L.-.

vveldin appositer des Welding curre means pro- 7e movement bellt) llE'

means for producin tween said work and said electrodes to produce a line weld, characterized by the fact that a work support laterall dis laced from the plane in which said e ectro es rotate 4is arranged to have its position adjusted in a direction substantially parallel to said plane for controlling movement of the work 1n a direction lateral to the line of the weld.

2. In a welding machine comprising a pair ofkelectrodes arranged to engage the lwork for transmitting welding current therethrough to produce a line weld, the combination of means for producing relative movement between said Work and electrodes,. and a work support laterally displaced from said electrodes, said support being arranged to be moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the line of the Weld for movlng it into and out of contact with said work and to be moved in a direction substantially parallel with the line of the weld for controlling movement of said work in a direction lateral to the line of the weld.

3. In a welding machine comprising a pair of rotatable disk electrodes arranged to engage opposite sides of the Work for transmitting welding current therethrough to produce a line weld, the combination of relative movement between said work an electrodes, and a work member and arranged to be moved relatively thereto for moving it into and out of contact with said work.

4. The method of operating a welding machine havin a pair of rotatable disk electrodes for producing a line weld and means for supporting the work at a point laterally dis laced from the plane in w ich ysaid electrodes rotate, which com rises rotatn said electrodes in contact wit opposite si es of said Work for transmitting current therethrough and for producing relative motion between said work and electrodes, and moving said supporting means rectlineally in av direction substantially parallel to the plane in which said electrodes rotate for preventing creepage of the work in a direction lateral to the line of the weld.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of Oct., 1924.

HARRY W. TOBEY. 

